All area veterans are invited to share their experiences in and with the armed services this Veterans Day by participating in the Library of Congress Veterans’ History Project now taking place at the East Rockaway Public Library.

The library’s open-ended participation in the national program will help collect and preserve first-hand accounts, stories and other documents from America’s war veterans and those American civilians who served in support of them.

The Veterans History Project collects first-person accounts of military service in both World Wars as well as both the wars in Korea, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf and conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Stories of service during other military conflicts between 1917 and today can also be collected.

“Our village is proudly partnering with the East Rockaway Public Library and The Library of Congress to bring the national Veterans History Project into the community,” said East Rockaway Mayor Fran Lenahan. “More than 1500 World War II veterans are passing away each day; and Korean and Vietnam War veterans are also passing at an alarming rate. The Veterans Legacy Project will preserve our history and add it to our nation’s memories,” Lenahan said.

“By recording our veterans’ stories and publishing them in the Library of Congress, they will be around forever. Future generations will be able to research our history and honor our military personnel for their sacrifice in perpetuity. The project also is an extremely valuable research tool as well,” Lenahan added.

“As we honor our nation’s warriors, past and present, this Veterans Day, we can record the legacies they left while fighting for our freedoms. The Library Board is thrilled to partner with the village and the Library of Congress to help compile first-person accounts, memories and documents dating back decades that concern neighbors’ personal war time experiences. We are eager to record them for posterity before they are lost forever,” said East Rockaway Library Board President Craig Mollo.